JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Members of the Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston community gathered at the Roadrunner Community Services building April 4 to participate in the kickoff of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and to witness the signing of a SAAM proclamation.
The event highlighted a commitment to raise awareness and promote the prevention of sexual violence and emphasized everyone has a role in stopping sexual assault.
The theme for the observance month is "Hurts one ... Affects all."
Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, U.S. Army North commanding general and Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis senior commander, provided the welcoming remarks, and Maj. Gen. Philip Volpe, U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School commanding general, served as the event's guest speaker.
Caldwell said directly confronting the issue of sexual assault is vitally important for the military and is a leadership challenge. As such, he said he was pleased to see the large number of leaders at the event.
"The issue we are all faced with in the Army is sexual assault," Caldwell said. "It is a growing issue in our Army. I am pleased to see so many leaders are here. This is an issue we, as leaders, must fix."
Volpe, who recently assumed command of AMEDDC&S, told those gathered this is an issue that must be met head-on by leaders at all levels.
"This is very important," Volpe said. "This is huge. You, as leaders, need to be at the tip of the spear attacking this. We are here to recognize this is a problem and a cancer in our formation."
Volpe said there have been more than 3,000 confirmed sexual assaults in the Department of Defense - on an annual basis - over the past three years, and it is believed to represent less than half the actual cases due to reluctance on the part of some victims to report the attacks.
"If that doesn't disturb you, then I don't know what would," he said. "It is devastating to an individual, and it affects them for the rest of their lives. Even one assault is too many - we must eliminate it from our ranks."
It will take the combined effort of leaders, down to every level, down to the first-line supervisor, because it is that important of a challenge the military faces, Volpe said.